If you are visiting France, knowing some basic words in that language will be helpful. Presented below is a short guide on how to say the proper farewell in French language.
With the globalization, the world has definitely come closer and we find ourselves interacting with people from different parts of the world. Knowing a common language is essential for better communication and interaction. Now, here is a case. If you have made French acquaintances, you would wish to know some basic phrases in the French language like greetings and goodbyes. It is simply impossible to learn the complete language in a mere couple of days or months. But, greeting or wishing your French friends in their native language will definitely be appreciated.
Farewell in French
Au revoir is the most common and standard phrase of farewell in the French language. The exact translation of Au revoir or its exact English equivalent is goodbye, bye, or farewell.
Au revoir : (ō’ rə-vwär’) or (oh RVWAHR) or (o reh vwahr)
Adieu is another word in French to wish farewell to a person. Actually from old French origin, this word is commonly used in English language. However, one should note that Adieu is only said when the speaker is not going to meet the person for a long time. Adieu is pronounced as (ah dee yuh)
Here are some more phrases to say goodbye in the French language, along with pronunciations.
| French Phrase | Pronunciation | English Equivalent |
| Au revoir | o reh vwahr | Goodbye, farewell |
| Salut | sah loo | Bye (informal) |
| À bientôt | ah bee en toe | See you soon |
| À demain | ah duh men | See you tomorrow |
| À ce soir | ah suh swah | See you tonight |
| À tout à l’heure | too tah leur | See you later |
| Bonne journée | bunn jor nay | Have a good day |
| À la prochaine fois | a la pro shen fwah | See you next time |
| Bonsoir | bohn swah | Good evening |
| Bonne nuit | bun nu wee | Good night |
Common Phrases in French
There are also different ways to say how are you in French. You might also need these quick phrases for greeting in French used in a general conversation.
| French Phrase | Pronunciation | English Equivalent |
| Bon jour | bon zhoor | Good morning/good day! |
| Comment allez-vous? | kom mohn tah lay voo | How are you? |
| Je vais bien | zhuh vay bee ahn | I am fine |
| Je m’appelle ABC | jeh ma pel ABC | My name is ABC |
| Comment vous appelez vous? | co mohn voos ap lay voo | What is your name? |
| Enchanté(e) | ohn shahn tay | Pleased to meet you! |
| Merci | mare see | Thank you! |
| Merci beaucoup | mare see boh koo | Thank you very much! |
| De rien | dah ree-ehn | You are welcome/That’s Okay |
| Excusez-moi | ex koo zay mwah | Excuse me/Sorry! |
| S’il vous plaît | seel voo play | Please |
| Parlez-vous anglais | par lay voo zon glay | Do you speak English? |
| Parlez lentement | par lay lehn ta mohn | Please speak slowly |
Farewell Etiquette in France
As a proper French Etiquette, it is customary to shake hands when greeting, as well as saying goodbye. Therefore, in formal occasions, while leaving one should shake hands once again and wish the person with Au revoir followed by Madame or Monsieur. Hence, the correct form of saying a proper or formal goodbye in France is au revoir Madame/Monsieur. In some places, people even wish each other farewell by shaking hands every day when departing from work. Also, wishing goodbye in a formal manner is also found in restaurants or stores. In informal cases, hugging or kissing is also accompanied with the goodbye phrase.
It is equally essential to know the proper pronunciation if you wish to make the right impression. Lastly, remember that the French are proud of their language and using simple phrases like hello, thank you and goodbye also helps in having a positive impression on them. So, Je dois y aller maintenant. Adieu. (I must go now. Farewell!)
